In April, for the first time in three years, Springfield voters will be able to cast a ballot to select school board members to govern the state's largest district.

Board secretary Kathy Looten posted a notice Monday that two members will be elected April 2, 2019, as the terms for Alina Lehnert and Charles Taylor are set to expire.

The last time the names of Springfield school board candidates appeared on a ballot was April 2016. No names appeared the following April because there were two open spots and only two incumbents running without any challengers.

"There was no need to have an election last year," Looten said.

No election was held in April of this year because three years earlier, a state legislative glitch temporarily changed the length of board terms from three years to six years. The glitch has since been fixed.

All positions are at-large, and the two candidates with the most votes will be sworn in. The seven-member governing body sets policy, approves an annual budget, employs and evaluates the superintendent, and charts a course for the future of the district.

To be eligible, candidates must live in the district for at least one year, be age 24 or older and submit petitions containing the verified signatures of at least 500 registered voters in the district.

Petitions must be filed during weekday business hours, excluding holidays that close the district offices, between 8 a.m. Dec. 11 and 5 p.m. Jan. 15.

Candidates who file Dec. 11 will participate in a random drawing to determine the order their names will appear on the ballot. Those who file later will have their names added in the order in which their petitions are received and validated.

In the notice, Looten said an orientation for potential board candidates will be scheduled in December.

The existing board has been working to develop a long-range facility plan that voters will support. This year, the board created the Community Task Force on Facilities to review the facility needs and recommend a plan.

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Charles Taylor, a member of the Springfield Public Schools Board of Education, makes a comment on Thursday, March 8, 2018 about the proposed closure of Campbell Elementary.(Photo11: Andrew Jansen/News-Leader)

In the coming months, the board will review the job performance of Superintendent John Jungmann and decide by mid-January whether a bond issue will be placed on the April ballot.

Lehnert and Taylor, who were elected in 2016, each told the News-Leader they plan to run for another three-year term.

"I will be running for re-election," Taylor said. "I think we have an effective board and we have unfinished work to do."

Taylor, a professor at Drury University, said the district faces challenges and he wants to be part of addressing them.

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Springfield school board member Alina Lehnert, right, plans to run for a second three-year term. To her left is board member Tim Rosenbury, who currently serves as board vice president.(Photo11: Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/News-Leader)

Lehnert, a leadership expert, plans to run again and said it's been an honor to advocate for students, teachers, staff and the community.

She said the board has supported expanding innovative programs and she has enjoyed being "with other thoughtful board members who are in it for the right reasons."

Interest in the Springfield school board has fluctuated in the past decade, but it was high in 2015 and 2016, when five candidates were on the ballot.

School board members

• Jill Patterson, an attorney, is Title IX coordinator at Missouri State University. She serves as board president. Elected in 2015, her current term will expire in 2021.

• Tim Rosenbury, an architect, is chairman of the board for Butler, Rosenbury and Partners. He serves as vice president. Elected in 2014, his current term will expire in 2020.

• Denise Fredrick, a retired educator, is a science education consultant. Elected to the board in 2011, her current term will expire in 2020.

• Gerry Lee, a public utilities expert, is associate executive director of Missouri School Boards' Association. Appointed in June 2006, his current term will expire in 2021.

• Alina Lehnert, a leadership expert, is founder of the Lehnert Leadership Group LLC. Elected in 2016, her current term will expire in 2019.

• Bruce Renner, a retired educator, has worked in K-12 and higher education institutions in Springfield. Elected in 1994, his current term will expire in 2021.

• Charles Taylor, an educator, is professor of communication and director of a master's degree program in communication at Drury University. Elected in 2016, his current term will expire in 2019.

The district encourages correspondence to the board be sent through board secretary Kathy Looten at klooten@spsmail.org. Only three board members — Rosenbury, Lee and Fredrick — include phone numbers in their online bios.